What is the real per-recipient economic value?

EUR 300,000 maximum. Award minimum: not published. Dilution/equity: none.

Which jurisdictions and applicants are eligible?

Natural persons or microenterprises in pre-formation or normally up to six months after Austrian commercial-register entry, pursuing deep-tech proof of concept with exceptional technical/scientific challenge and large growth potential.

An exceptional scientific/technical challenge rather than incremental innovation; A committed capable founding team; Potential for multi-million-euro sales and at least €5m future financing rounds

What burden or follow-on should I expect?

One-to-two-year funded project with eligible-cost accounting and program milestones; at least 10% of cost normally comes from future shareholders' equity and another 10% from permitted sources. Designed to bridge proof of concept toward Seedfinancing and other capital; follow-on is not automatic.

aws Preseed – Deep Tech

EUR 300,000 maximum; see notes for structure · Austria Wirtschaftsservice · rolling applications

aws Preseed – Deep Tech is a grant programme from Austria Wirtschaftsservice for Pre-incorporation teams or young technology companies planning substantial operations in Austria Current status: rolling; Ongoing submissions with several decision dates per year. Award economics: EUR 300,000 maximum; dilution/equity: none.

Tier 2 · ranked #10governmentaustriadeep-techgrant

Apply Official site Open in the live directory

Key facts

Funder	Austria Wirtschaftsservice
Amount	EUR 300,000 maximum; see notes for structure
Deadline	Rolling — apply anytime
Decision time	Several decision dates annually; the public page does not promise a fixed turnaround.
Eligibility	Natural persons or microenterprises in pre-formation or normally up to six months after Austrian commercial-register entry, pursuing deep-tech proof of concept with exceptional technical/scientific challenge and large growth potential.
Restrictions	One-to-two-year funded project with eligible-cost accounting and program milestones; at least 10% of cost normally comes from future shareholders' equity and another 10% from permitted sources. Dilution/equity: none.
Status	rolling

Always confirm on the official page before applying — dates and terms change.

Application process

Confirm deep-tech and formation-stage fit
Prepare proof-of-concept project, eligible costs and financing shares
Submit continuously to aws
Assessment at one of several annual decision dates
Execute a one-to-two-year funded proof-of-concept project

Background

Austria Wirtschaftsservice operates aws Preseed – Deep Tech. The official-source pass separates the currently actionable opportunity from historical cohorts and separates per-recipient value from headline program envelopes. aws publishes a 25% success rate.

How the application really works

Confirm deep-tech and formation-stage fit → Prepare proof-of-concept project, eligible costs and financing shares → Submit continuously to aws → Assessment at one of several annual decision dates → Execute a one-to-two-year funded proof-of-concept project

Tips

Demonstrate: An exceptional scientific/technical challenge rather than incremental innovation
Demonstrate: A committed capable founding team
Demonstrate: Potential for multi-million-euro sales and at least €5m future financing rounds

Watch out for

Current status is rolling; do not use an archived form.
Dilution/equity treatment: none.
One-to-two-year funded project with eligible-cost accounting and program milestones; at least 10% of cost normally comes from future shareholders' equity and another 10% from permitted sources.

Track record

aws publishes a 25% success rate.

Official success rate: 25%.

Frequently asked questions

Is this opportunity actionable now?: rolling. Ongoing submissions with several decision dates per year.
What is the real per-recipient economic value?: EUR 300,000 maximum. Award minimum: not published. Dilution/equity: none.
Which jurisdictions and applicants are eligible?: Natural persons or microenterprises in pre-formation or normally up to six months after Austrian commercial-register entry, pursuing deep-tech proof of concept with exceptional technical/scientific challenge and large growth potential.
How does selection work?: Confirm deep-tech and formation-stage fit; Prepare proof-of-concept project, eligible costs and financing shares; Submit continuously to aws; Assessment at one of several annual decision dates; Execute a one-to-two-year funded proof-of-concept project. Several decision dates annually; the public page does not promise a fixed turnaround.
What appears to win?: An exceptional scientific/technical challenge rather than incremental innovation; A committed capable founding team; Potential for multi-million-euro sales and at least €5m future financing rounds
What burden or follow-on should I expect?: One-to-two-year funded project with eligible-cost accounting and program milestones; at least 10% of cost normally comes from future shareholders' equity and another 10% from permitted sources. Designed to bridge proof of concept toward Seedfinancing and other capital; follow-on is not automatic.

Sources

www.aws.at/en/aws-preseed-deep-tech — Official continuous status, amounts, cost share, eligibility, duration, success rate and winning criteria (checked 2026-08-10)
www.aws.at/en/aws-preseed-faq — Official governing documents and current maxima (checked 2026-08-10)